Why (and how) retailers should embrace 'showrooming’

New research from Deloitte suggests that more than 5 percent of store
sales during 2012 will be influenced by smartphones. For the purposes
of the survey, Deloitte defined “influence” to include activities such
as product research conducted by shoppers with their mobile device,
price comparisons and other mobile application usage. By 2016, that
influence will grow to 19 percent of sales, or $689 billion, the
Deloitte research suggests.

This phenomenon is rather disconcerting for the retail industry, and
some retailers have actually banned Wi-Fi in their stores in an effort
to prevent the activity and lock in customers. But a growing number,
such as The Home Depot,
are viewing mobile technology as a new way to inspire customer loyalty
and accelerate the purchasing process. Those retailers are embracing
’showrooming’ with technology of their own.